Looking Past the Ripper
by hopelessromanticgurl
Summary: ONE SHOT: What I think should have happen after Elena found Stefan with blood on his face after he lost control with that girl in the alley during 3x16. STELENA FANS MUST READ!


**A/N I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! Thanks to my beta Elena Rain! This is just something that popped into my head during last weeks episode, I'm just now getting around to posting it. I hope you all like it. **

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><p>Disbelief…That was the only word that would describe how Elena felt in that moment. She had seen ripper Stefan before, but she honestly believed he stopped being the ripper once Klaus released him from the compulsion, but now she saw him, with blood all over his a face and an innocent woman laying on the ground, with Damon having to feed her his blood to save her life.<p>

"Stefan…" she whispered.

When he saw her he was like a deer caught in headlights, he quickly reached up to wipe his mouth. "Elena…"

"What's going on?" she asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, Elena, it's just a little experiment, don't make this any more dramatic than it has to be." Damon said.

"Elena, let's just go." Matt said.

"No," She walked closer to them. "What kind of experiment? Once that tortures, Stefan and risks the life an innocent woman?"

"Actually, it's helping, Stefan and it's very simple, you drink, feed, compel, by the time it's all over the girl has no idea what happen to her."

"So you want, Stefan to be just like you? Using woman as nothing more than human blood bags?"

"At least I don't kill them afterwards, or rip their bodies apart and put them back together like a puzzle."

"He was trying, he told me he was trying to stop, why would you do this to him?" Elena asked.

She went over to Stefan and stood next to him and put her hand on his back. "Everything that happen to him, everything Klaus did to him, it's all on you. Stefan became the ripper to save your life and now that he's trying to change you force him back into the one person he doesn't want to be? Your brother has done so much to save your life and yet you continue to treat him like dirt and torture him in ways that are just cruel."

"When did I become the bad guy in all this?"

"Damon, Stefan has risked his life for you, more times than I can count and yet when he is trying to do one of the hardest things in his life you torture him with human blood?"

"News Flash Elena, I'm trying to help him! Avoiding it won't do him any good. He needs to lean to control it."

"I understand that, but why use a human being? You could use a blood bag."

"Because, then he won't feel the guilt he feels now if he can't control it, Elena. He needs to feel guilty for ending a human life in order to control himself."

Elena looked up to Stefan and her heart broke. The last time she had seen that look was when she had caught him drinking from Amber the last time he was on human blood. He was so embarrassed, ashamed, but most of all guilty. She rubbed his back and gave him a one armed hug; he just stayed stiff as stone. She looked back to Damon. "You're torturing him, Damon."

"No, torturing him would be compelling him to drink you dry…oh wait, he already did that, and he didn't have to be compelled either. Did you forget that?"

Elena glared and shook her head. "You're the real monster. Stefan has made mistakes, but at least he has a strong enough heart to feel guilty about it. You do bad things with no guilt what so ever."

"I'm the monster? Elena, have you completely forgot who saved you from the hospital, who was there for you after he tried to kill you, who spent an entire summer helping you look for him when he clearly didn't want to be found, and who actually stepped up and did something to help you protect Jeremy when my brother couldn't be bothered?"

"You're also the one who almost turned me into a vampire which caused me to lose John, right after watching my Aunt die."

Damon groaned. "Seriously? You're still angry at me for that?"

"Do you feel guilty about it?"

"No."

"You've just proven my point. I have nothing left to say to you." She turned to Stefan and smiled softly at him. "Come on, I'll take you home."

"I can't." he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

He wouldn't even look her in the eyes.

"It's ok, the girl is ok. Just come and let's get you cleaned up."

"He's right, I'm a monster."

"No, Stefan, you're not. You're an addict. We just have to help you through your addiction."

"We?" He asked finally looking her in the eyes.

"Of course, I wouldn't make you go through this alone. Stefan, even after everything that's happen and even after everything you did I…I still love you."

Stefan smiled a real smile for the first time in a very long time. "Really?"

"Really, it's always going to be you, Stefan."

"But the kiss…you and Damon, you kissed."

Elena sighed and nodded. "It didn't mean anything."

"You loved it!" Damon piped in. "You kissed back!"

"Damon, you're right, I did kiss back, and yes, at that moment, I liked it. Now that I've had time to think about it and really figure out what my heart wanted, I realized, I kissed you that night because I was sick to my stomach with guilt. I wasn't thinking straight, and to be completely, 100% honest with you, I was picturing, Stefan the entire time."

"Elena, your love has blinded you from who he truly is. He's the monster, not me!"

"I know who Stefan is, better than anyone else in this world, because I know Stefan's true heart, and not many people know that Stefan. Clearly you don't."

"You really love me? After everything I've done to you?" Stefan asked.

"That depends, can you still love me knowing I kissed your brother."

"As long as I know it didn't mean anything, yes."

Elena smiled. "I love you so much, Stefan."

"I love you too, Elena."

She took his hand and kissed them. He smiled and understood why she didn't kiss his lips.

"Come on, let's go home." Elena smiled.

Stefan smiled and nodded. They locked hands and turned around to walk out of the alley way. Matt followed behind them, leaving Damon standing there all alone.

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><p>They got home quickly, and went right up to Elena's room. Stefan quickly cleaned up and rushed back to Elena pulling her into a breath taking kiss. Elena melted into the kiss and wrapped her arms around him. She had missed him so much and she was so happy to finally have him back in her arms.<p>

She pulled away needing air. He chuckled as she panted.

"Don't…laugh, it's…not…funny." She said trying to sound stern.

He just continued to laugh. She playfully smacked him. He poked her side and she squealed. His smiled faded as she finally caught her breath back.

"What?" she asked.

"Elena, you know we can't go back to what we had before. Even if I do manage to control my thirst for blood, I'm always going to be feeling guilty and wanting to pull away."

Elena took his hand and led him over to the bed. They sat down. "Do you remember when we first heard of Klaus? Katherine had told us from the tomb, and I was upset, but I tried to shut you out?"

Stefan nodded.

"You didn't let me did you? You held me while I cried and you comforted me. I can be that for you too, Stefan. I can be your shoulder to cry on when you need it. I won't let you shut me out. I promise."

Stefan smiled softly and nodded. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Stefan forever and for always. I promise."

They shared another kiss and laid down cuddling together just enjoying holding each other again. Elena was right, nobody knew, Stefan's heart. After the ripper days they all assumed he was a monster. Elena was the only person, other than Lexi, to look past the ripper and see the true man he was at heart. She was the only woman to see the true him and he knew they were going to be together forever, no matter what life through at them.

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><p><strong>AN so what do you think? Leave me your thoughts in a review. THIS IS ONLY A ONE SHOT! I WILL NOT BE CONTINUING IT! **

**For update, sneak peeks, and even sometimes cool pictures, FIND and LIKE me on facebook at "hopelessromanticgurl" **


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